Representative Image | Photo: Akhil ES/ Mathrubhumi
Pathanamthitta: The 61st edition of Kerala State School Kalolsavam 2022-23 is likely to witness a lower number of appeals compared to the previous years. Lok Ayukta has introduced strict guidelines for granting interim orders to facilitate competition via appeals.
Lok Ayukta has decided to hear the opposite party before the next level of competition. Candidates who secured more marks than the complainant and the concerned officials of the General Education Department will be asked to appear for the hearing. The order allowing the complainant to participate in the event will be issued only if the allegations are found true. However, it will not be easy for the candidates to obtain the final order and arrive at Kozhikode for the state-level competition.
Earlier, the complainants were allowed to participate in the competition temporarily at the next level if they moved an appeal before the Lok Ayukta. Though the complainant could participate as per the interim order, the result would be published based on the final order. The hearing of the opposite party was held only after the competition. A notice had been issued to the opposite party for the hearing. However, no one followed up on the proceedings of Lok Ayukta after the competition in most of the cases. The new regulations will help Lok Ayukta to avoid such situations.
Hundreds of complaints are submitted to Lok Ayukta from various districts as of now. Further proceedings were initiated only on two cases after finding discrepancies in the judgement. But it is learnt that no final order was declared in any cases yet.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights stopped issuing appeals after observing that several fake appeals were submitted in 2018.